Dressing the Door for Christmas with Rebecca Stuart

What inspired the design of this year's Christmas wreath?

All my designs are ingredients lead. Walking around the beautiful Boconnoc Estate where I collected the foliage was my ultimate inspiration. Branches that have bends in them, lichen and trailing ivy. Allowing the natural ingredients to dictate the style and structure.

What do you love most about the finished wreath?

I love that it is truly unique. I wanted to show the structure of the rusty frame with the moss but have a woven in style of wreath so it felt loose and windswept – often how much of Cornwall looks in winter!

What makes a really beautiful Christmas wreath?

I think the best wreaths are the ones that make you happy. The process of making your own wreath is more than the finish product it’s enjoying the walk you might take to find the ingredients. Finding treasures on the floor like broken branches or a holly with a few red berries will remind you of that making process when it is up and on your front door. I don’t believe there is one key element that makes a beautiful wreath it really is more about enjoying the connection with nature.

When you're dressing a wreath, where do you start?

I often start with a good base. This could be responsibly sourced moss, bracken, straw or hay!  This gives some hydration to the stems that will sit up against the frame. The frame is easy to pack and can form part of the design. When you are foraging try not to add too many ingredients, repetition of three different evergreens will be easier that lots of variety. Consider some ‘hero’ pieces.  These could be a few sprigs of berried holly, some lichen covered sticks, seed heads or grasses. Something that will just draw you eye like it did in nature when you found it!

What are your top tips for styling a front door for Christmas?

Well, a wreath is a great place to start.  Consider the size of your door when making one though – the amount of people who have come on my courses and made enormous wreaths only to be reminded that they don’t have stately home size front doors is always a real chuckle!

I love to also add some beautiful pots of seasonal plants by the front door and some hurricane lamps.  The warm glow on a cold winter’s night is so special for inviting guests in.

How do you make a Christmas entrance feel really special without it becoming too overdone?

Keep to a simple colour palette. I often just go with lots of seasonal greens for my wreath and perhaps a natural or gold ribbon. The gold ribbon then echoes the candlelight in the hurricane lamps.

Should your wreath complement the Christmas decorations inside your home, or do you like to treat the entrance as something separate?

Not necessarily and personally all my decorations tend to be quite natural or simple so I suppose I lean into this for the doorstep styling too. The location of a front door wreath means you could be bolder if you wish to be as it is isolated from the inside decorations – if it makes you happy go for it!

What other elements would you pair with the wreath — greenery, pots, lanterns, ribbons, lights etc.?

Ribbons really finish a wreath and I love to use smaller multiples of them rather than one big ribbon. A few vintage brass bells look really pretty and add an extra bit of styling.  

What is one simple finishing touch that can instantly elevate a Christmas doorway?

If a wreath is too much to make or you don’t have access to lots of greenery just hang a small bunch of foliage upside down with a ribbon. This could be a herbs like rosemary or bay and is a really simple, achievable flourish for any front door.

What does Christmas decorating mean to you?

Christmas often comes after a very busy wedding season and therefore simple is always what I am looking to create in my own home as time is often running out for big styling options!  There have been many years where I’ve not had time to make a full wreath so a simple bunch of foliage has been strung up on Christmas Eve and often it’s been my favourite creation.  

I will always dress the dinning table with foliage and narcissi for Christmas as the scent just says Christmas to me!

Are there any Christmas styling trends or colour combinations you're particularly loving this year?

I don’t tend to follow a trend instead I like to use ribbons to make a change with colour or styling.  I love mustard and royal blue velvet ribbons at the moment so I’ll will be bringing some bear branches into the kitchen and tying some ribbons on to the them for a pop of colour this winter!

Rebecca's Christmas Wreath Making Workshop on 6th December 2026 at the Boconnoc Estate is available to book here. 

Photography by John Hersey Studio.